What you need to teach French online
To teach French online you need to master the language, know how to teach it (training in teaching French as a foreign language gives you a method) and simple equipment: a computer, camera, microphone, good connection and a quiet place.
Speaking French isn't the same as knowing how to teach it. Sooner or later, Tom will ask you why it's "la table" but "le bureau", and "c'est comme ça" doesn't count as an answer. Good training gives you the why and, above all, the how. Here's what you need before your first lesson:
- Level. If French is your mother tongue, perfect. If not, you need a very high level before you sit in front of a student (the DALF C2 certifies "maîtrise", the highest CEFR level).
- Training. France Éducation international runs the BELC courses (in summer and winter in France, and all year round in other countries), has a distance-learning platform and lists the master's degrees in teaching French as a foreign language at French universities.
- Equipment. A computer with a camera and microphone (or a headset with a mic), a stable connection and a quiet corner. Test your sound and camera before every first lesson.
- A plan. What you'll do in the first four lessons and with which materials. A news story, an audio clip or a restaurant menu go a long way.
Where to teach French online: a platform or on your own
You can teach French online on a marketplace, which brings you students for a commission, or with your own students, whom you find yourself and who pay you directly. You can start with one and switch.
Both options work, just not for the same thing. A marketplace puts you in front of people looking for a teacher today, in exchange for a share of every lesson and for competing on the same page with lots of other profiles. With your own students it takes longer to get going, but the price, the schedule and the rules are yours. Truly yours.
| Option | Where students come from | What you pay | Who sets the rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace (Preply, italki...) | They find you on the platform | Usually a commission on each lesson | The platform sets some of the rules |
| Your own students | You find them: contacts, referrals and ads | Your tools, plus the online payment fee if you use one | You: price, schedule and cancellations |
How much each platform keeps, with sources, is in our guide to Preply, italki and Superprof commissions. What I'd do: use them to get started, not forever.
How to prepare students for the DELF and DALF
The DELF (A1 to B2) and the DALF (C1 and C2) are official diplomas from the French Ministry of Education, valid for life. Each level is a separate diploma, so your student only sits the one they need.
Preparing for an official exam is like teaching with a GPS: the destination is already set (DELF B2, June) and you choose the route, the stops and when to speed up. Tom doesn't want to "improve his French", he wants that B2. And that, for you, is half a syllabus ready.
| Exam | Levels | Who it's for | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| DELF tout public | A1 to B2, one diploma per level | Adults and older teenagers; there are Prim and junior versions for younger learners | For life |
| DALF | C1 and C2 | Proficient users; it opens the door to French, European and French-speaking universities | For life |
In the DELF B2, each of the 4 papers is worth 25 points: you need at least 50 out of 100 and at least 5 in each paper. France Éducation international publishes DELF B2 sample papers and tips: use them as mock exams from the first month. GPS calibrated.
How much to charge for French lessons
The typical rate among language teachers who charge by the hour on SmartCookie is €30 an hour (9th of October 2026). Your price will depend on your experience, the goal of the lesson and your market.
Does naming a number make you dizzy? Normal: nearly every teacher goes through it at first (yours truly included). The full ranges, for one-to-one and group lessons, are in our guide on how much to charge for language lessons. Pick a figure, say it with confidence and don't apologize for it. Ever.
How to find your first French students
To find your first French students, start with the people around you and ask for referrals. A specific offer, like "DELF B2 in six months", is much easier to understand than "French lessons".
At first nobody knows you teach, so tell people. Your family, your former colleagues, that friend who's spent three summers saying "this is the year" they sign up for French. See? You already know who to message. And on top of that:
- A specific offer: who it's for (level and goal) and what result you're after. "French for your Erasmus in Lyon" or "DELF B2 by June" make sense at first glance.
- A short trial lesson, free or discounted, so you get to know your student and they get to know you.
- Quick replies. Someone who messages you at 10 p.m. and gets an answer the next morning books; someone who waits three days has already found someone else.
- Referrals. After about five lessons, once there's trust, ask whether they know anyone who wants to learn.
Want to go beyond your circle? Where to post, what to write and templates to copy are in our guide to advertising private lessons.
Tools to teach French online
To teach French online you only need three tools: a video call (Google Meet or Zoom), a booking link so each student picks a slot, and a way to get paid online by card or, in Spain, Bizum.
Meet or Zoom? The differences that matter in a lesson (time limits on the free plans, whiteboard, recording) are in our comparison Google Meet vs Zoom for online lessons. Pick one and don't switch every week: your students will thank you.
With a booking link, each student sees your free slots and books without the "does Thursday work?", "what time?", "Madrid time or Montreal time?". And that last one will turn up sooner or later if you teach online. Trust me.
And get paid before the lesson or when they buy a pack, with your rules in writing from day one. Getting paid isn't distrust: it's being organized.
Your French lessons, organized from today
Create your booking link, share your free slots and let SmartCookie handle reminders and payments. Try it free for 14 days, no card needed.